The editorial board and staff are pleased to present the latest issue of US Cardiology Review. The reviews cover important topics in each of five sections of the journal and have been selected based on relevance to daily practice of the general cardiologist and advanced internist.
The issue leads off with a review in the Risk Prevention section by Drs. Steven Edelman and Stephen Ku on medications used for glycemic management in patients with diabetes. The presence of diabetes in a large number of patients who are followed by cardiologists, and the potential impact of diabetes medications on cardiovascular outcomes make this a valuable paper for all cardiologists caring for these patients.
The Electrophysiology and Arrhythmia section comprises three reviews. Dr Michael Rich reviews the identification of risk for stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. This article provides an in depth look at CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores for estimating stroke risk and offers essential guidance for selection of anticoagulation strategies. Next, Dr Mark Estes and colleagues discuss the current status and role for observational registries of patients with inherited or acquired arrhythmia syndromes. The review highlights the potential importance of these registries for reducing knowledge gaps and improving outcomes in these complex patients. Dr Ankur Kalra and colleagues close this section with a review of the difficulties in diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation that may be clinically silent among patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
In the Heart Failure section, Dr Jorge Silva Enciso and colleagues review left ventricular assist devices as destination therapy for advanced heart failure. The increasing prevalence of heart failure dictates a critical need for improved advanced therapies as the proportion of patients able to receive cardiac transplantation becomes ever lower. Destination left ventricular assist devices offer promise for these patients and a basic understanding of these devices will be necessary for the practicing cardiologist.
In the Pulmonary Vascular Disease section, Dr Deborah Levine and colleagues provide an update on pharmacologic strategies in the management of pulmonary hypertension, showing that recent advances in pharmacologic management hold some promise for these patients.
We conclude this issue with a review by Drs James McCabe and Robert Riley on the ECG challenges in the diagnosis of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Early activation of the cardiac catheterization team is a critical determinant of quality care for patients suffering STEMI, but missed diagnoses and inaccurate diagnosis impact survival and waste valuable resources. Understanding these challenges may help improve the overall quality and systems of care.
As we turn our attention and look forward to the next issue, we trust you will find these current works informative for your practice.